1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a terminal adapter having a multiple-contact component for electrical connection to printed circuit boards and associated electronic parts. The invention is also directed to a relay socket means operatively associated with the terminal adapter.
2. Prior Art
Generally, printed circuit boards are provided with a large number of leads connecting to densely packed electronic circuit elements such as resistors and capacitors as in integrated circuits. The leads are, however, broadly standardized under common specifications related to configuration, lead-to-lead spacing (pitch) and other design parameters so as to provide facilitated circuit assembly and enhanced productivity.
For purposes of illustration, a typical form of conventional flat package integrated circuit is shown in FIG. 12, incorporating a total of 64 contact pins known as "Gull Wing" extending in a closely aligned row downwardly symmetrically from the four sides of a rectangular substrate for solder connection to corresponding leads on an underlying printed circuit board (not shown).
The design and development work on printed circuit boards would be held in abeyance pending the outcome of newly developed circuit components of a high packing density. This procedure is time-consuming. It is therefore desirable to carry out the development project of circuit component parts simultaneously or parallel with the design of related circuit boards, in which instance numerous signal leads are connected to extremely crowded terminal lands disposed on the printed circuit board which represent the prospective positions for mounting high density circuit components, the signal leads being then connected to an external equivalent electronic circuitry for simulation test. The work involved in making such multiple lead connections is caution-demanding, tedious and time-consuming, particularly with an increase in the complexity of sophisticated circuit patterns. This problem becomes aggravated with printed circuit boards having electrical components in close proximity to the points of lead connection.